Cardinals beat Lakers to advance to first Women's Softball Championship in school history

Published 2:45 am, Sunday, May 22, 2011

UNIVERSITY CENTER -- Saginaw Valley State pitcher Jade Fulton flirted with disaster all day on Saturday. And she was up to the task each and every time -- just as she has been throughout the softball postseason.

Fulton shut out a hard-hitting and high-scoring Grand Valley State team to lead the host Cardinals to a 2-0 victory in the second game of the Midwest Super Regional.

With the win, Saginaw Valley (40-16) swept the series and advances to the NCAA Division II Women's Softball Championship for the first time in program history. The national championship round, which features eight Super Regional winners from around the country, will be held in Salem, Va., from May 26-30.

"It's amazing," Fulton said of making school history. " ... I think that this team is very special. We all worked together, and we all wanted it. It was really an emotional win for us today, and we're just ready to take it to the next step."

The victory was particularly emotional for Cardinals' coach Tim Rousse, who said he tried to envision the night before what it would be like to win the Super Regional. Rousse sounded as if he were caught off-guard by just how emotional the moment turned out to be.

"To be honest, I kind of crept inside the dugout like (1980 U.S. gold medal hockey coach) Herb Brooks and started crying like a baby," Rousse admitted with a tired smile. "For me, I'm glad it's over and I can finally sleep. I haven't slept for two days. ... It's a great feeling."

As they have done throughout the season, the Cardinals rode the right arm of Fulton to victory.

She went the full seven innings and allowed six hits, all singles, with seven strikeouts to improve to 29-9 overall and 5-0 in the postseason.

In two Super Regional games, Fulton allowed only two runs on nine hits with 13 strikeouts against a Grand Valley team which entered the weekend among the nation's leaders in hitting (.370), runs scored (400), and homers (74).

"My goal this time was to hit my spots and get them to ground out," she noted. "I didn't want to give up those big hits. Even when they had runners on, I wasn't as nervous as (if I had been) giving up home runs. That was the thing that was in the back of my mind.

" ... When they had runners on, I knew I had a great defense behind me, and that helped (me to relax)."

Rousse agreed that keeping the ball down in the strike zone and not giving up home runs to the Lakers was the focus. Toward that end, he called for Fulton to throw 36 dropballs -- about 30 more than she typically throws in a game.

"We were throwing (dropballs) to everybody. We just wanted to keep the ball in the park," Rousse said. " ... She hasn't thrown her dropball much at all this year, and to have that kind of command with a pitch you don't throw (very often), it's amazing. She's the best player in the country."

The Lakers didn't make it easy on Fulton, though.

Grand Valley threatened in the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings and got the lead-off batter on base four times.

But Fulton never flinched, stranding four runners in scoring position as Grand Valley went 0-for-6 with runners at second or third.

"Beating Grand Valley is a tall order. But the harder it is (to win), the more gratifying it is," said Rousse, whose Cardinals beat the Lakers in all six meetings this season. "I would be lying if I didn't say it's extra special because it's Grand Valley. I respect them that much."

While Fulton was working her way out of one jam after another, her teammates were hitting the ball hard off of GVSU starter Andrea Nicholson but had nothing to show for it through the first four innings.

Finally, the Cardinals broke the ice in the top of the fifth.

Jessica McKeith got things started with a one-out single, and Ashley Coffin followed with a single and advanced on the throw to third, putting runners at second and third.

Next up, Kaitlyn Kenyon flied out to rightfield to score McKeith and make it 1-0.

McKeith added a solo homer, only her second of the season, in the seventh to seal it.

Like Fulton and McKeith, Coffin was a member of SVSU's 2009 team which won the first game of Super Regionals only to lose twice to Indianapolis the following day and miss out on a trip to the championship round.

"I think it's way worth it," Coffin said of waiting for another chance to get to Salem. "It's a whole different year, a whole different feel. We've been here (to Super Regionals) before, but this year, something's just different. We're all clicking; we're all together. It feels great.

" ... I can't even explain (the emotions), really. I can't," she added with a smile. "It's just awesome."

Nicholson (20-8) took the loss, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits.

Coffin, McKeith, and Natalie Wellman each had two hits for SVSU, while Miranda Cleary had two hits for Grand Valley, which finishes at 41-16.

Rousse admitted that he doesn't know what to expect when his Cardinals arrive in Salem later this week for the biggest games of their lives.

"I don't think you know (how you'll react) until you get in that type of situation. You can pretend you know or think you have a good idea, but it's going to be new for all of us," he said. "I coached in a Little League World Series and I played in the Colt League World Series myself, but I've never coached in (a World Series) at the college level.

"But we'll figure it out," he added with a grin. " ... These girls are just fun, man. We'll just roll with it."

And enjoying the moment, Fulton noted, is what the Cardinals intend to do.

"I think we're just going to have fun. That's what softball is all about. That's why we play," she said. "It's our dream from childhood -- just to have fun and do our best."